A/N: Just a friendly reminder, I do not own Harry Potter. The only thing that is original is Lilah D. and the plot of this story.
Harry and Hermione had the whole Gryffindor common room to themselves for much of the rest of the afternoon. He felt awful making her cry earlier, even though she willingly accompanied him to see something so horrific. Those scars must have been horrific because he saw how red her eyes were. She was so sweet, so innocent, she really shouldn't have had to see that, he thought. But he took heart in knowing that she was a Gryffindor for a reason – she was brave enough to see it through. He would have done the same for her if the roles were reversed, but in his heart of hearts, he'd rather it be him that suffered and not her. The thought of the angelic Hermione suffering… no, he wouldn't have any of it. Or Lilah, for that matter.
But on a happier note, Harry was able to make Hermione laugh. The sound of her sweet, high-pitched giggles was such beautiful music. He looked at her pretty face… there was no confusing her features with Lilah's – Lilah's hair was golden and silky-smooth without a single hair out of place, while Hermione's was dark and wild. Lilah had beautiful teeth while Hermione was a bit buck-toothed. Lilah had very thin lips while Hermione's were somewhat fuller. But both girls were beautiful, Harry thought, and positively perfect the way they were. He wouldn't have them any other way.
The two friends just sat in the common room and chatted the afternoon away, just the two of them, with all the time in the world, and without a care in the world. Harry felt something stir inside him, something bold, something that he hadn't even asked Lilah. But the iron was hot, he figured, so he might as well strike now.
"Hermione?" Harry asked in a gentle tone. "I'd like to ask you something."
Hermione smiled warmly. "You can ask me anything in the world, Harry."
"Would you like to get a butterbeer with me tomorrow night? Just you and me." He grinned like a Cheshire cat. "My treat."
Hermione arched an eyebrow. "I would say yes, Harry, but I'm not sure if we're allowed to do that. We're just firsties, you know."
Harry nodded. "True, but considering the circumstances… what we've been through, I don't think it's out of the question that Professor McGonagall would give us special permission to go. If she agrees to give us permission, would you go?"
Hermione beamed. "You know I would, Harry. I'd be delighted."
Harry chuckled. "And for what it's worth, it's not a date. I'm not ready for that sort of thing."
"Good, because I'm not either," Hermione replied with a giggle.
"Would you like to go to Professor McGonagall's office with me and see if she'll agree?" Harry asked. "I think she's free this hour."
"That's fine," said Hermione.
The two made their way back downstairs to the first floor and knocked on Professor McGonagall's office door.
"Come in," trilled the Gryffindor head.
"Hello, Professor," Harry said. "I was wondering… well, I would like to take Hermione to get a butterbeer tomorrow evening… I know we're just first-years, but since we've been through quite a bit lately, I thought maybe you could grant us an exception this once."
"Under normal circumstances, yes, you are correct. First years would not be allowed to go to Hogsmeade Station," replied the professor. She cracked a warm smile. "But you're also right in that the two of you have been through a lot… I think I can make an exception for you. I will have permission notes owled to you tomorrow morning."
"Great, thank you, Professor," replied Harry. "I hope you understand that this means a lot to me."
"You're welcome, Mister Potter," replied Professor McGonagall.
The next morning, at breakfast, Harry got a note from Hedwig as expected. "This must be from Professor McGonagall," he said softly to Hermione. He opened the note and quickly read it:
"Mister Potter,
As promised, here are the permission notes so you may take Miss Granger to the Three Broomsticks this evening for a butterbeer. You may take her after dinner, but please be mindful that curfew still applies. You should still have ample time as it doesn't take all that long to get to Hogsmeade Village if you follow the directions that I have attached to this note.
Also, I would like for you to take Miss Darling one of these weekends as well. She does not strike me as the jealous type, but I know how much she means to you, and it's only fair that you spend some quality time with her. Please send me a reply whenever you can, and let me know what day you'd like to take Miss Darling.
Both Miss Granger and Miss Darling are incredibly lucky witches to have you as their friend. It brings me such joy seeing how their faces light up whenever they're with you.
Sincerely,
Professor M. McGonagall"
Harry then handed Hermione her permission slip and the directions on how to get to Hogsmeade Village. "You're better at this sort of thing than I am, so I'm giving you the map for safe keeping until tonight, if that's okay," Harry said.
"That's fine, Harry," replied Hermione. She smiled at him. "Thank you for inviting me, Harry. I'm not going to lie, I've been wanting to do this with you for some time." She then giggled. "But only as friends."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Harry replied with a smile.
"Oh, and that was very nice of her to have you bring Lilah next time," Hermione said. "It's only right, you know. When I see you and her together, I see the pure joy in her eyes. She loves you like family too."
"And I love her like family as well," Harry replied. "I don't want her to feel left out. In fact, I'll go ask her now to see when she'd like to go."
"That's fine, Harry," Hermione said. "We have a few minutes, so I'll write my parents to see if they're okay with having you spend Christmas with us this year. You still want to do that, right?"
Harry grinned. "More than anything. I know it's a couple of months away still, but I'm looking forward to being in a home where I'm treated like a guest, rather than a burden."
Hermione grabbed Harry in a wild hug. "You'll be more than a guest, Harry, you'll be treated like family."
"Thank you," Harry said softly as he wrapped his arms around his friend. "I can't wait."
A few moments later, Harry made his way to the Hufflepuff table.
"Hi Lilah," Harry said with a big smile on his face.
"Hiya Harry!" Lilah exclaimed excitedly. "How are you this morning?"
"I'm doing all right," Harry replied. "I have a question for you."
"Sure Harry," Lilah said. "What's on your mind?"
Harry's smile broadened. "I was wondering if you'd like to go to Hogsmeade Village with me one of these weekends… and maybe get a butterbeer with me at the Three Broomsticks."
Lilah's jaw dropped. "Harry. We're firsties… I don't think we're allowed to leave Hogwarts without permission."
Harry chuckled. "Well, I took the precaution to secure permission. I talked to Professor McGonagall yesterday, and she said that she'd give us a one-time pass to go, whenever you'd like."
Lilah beamed. "That sounds terrific, Harry… maybe next weekend? Does that work for you?"
"I think so," replied Harry. "I'll let Professor McGonagall know."
"Ta, Harry," said Lilah. "I can't wait to go with you!" Her face brightened again. "Oh, I almost forgot – I just got a letter back from my parents this morning."
Harry's eyes widened. "Oh yeah? What did they have to say?"
"Oh, the usual," replied Lilah. "They told me they missed me and they were glad to hear that I'm doing well in my classes. You know… maybe I can just share it with you during our free period before lunch. How does that sound? Just you and me under the tree. I have nothing to hide." She smiled radiantly.
"Sure, Lilah," said Harry. "I'd like that. I look forward to seeing you then."
"Oh, where's Hermione? She's usually here with you," Lilah asked.
"She's writing a letter to her parents… she invited me to her family's place for Christmas and I said I'd go," replied Harry.
"Oh," Lilah said softly, with a hint of disappointment in her voice. "I was kind of hoping you could spend Christmas with my family as well."
Harry smiled. "There's Easter break too, you know. I'll gladly spend Easter with your family, if you'll have me."
Lilah beamed. "That would be great, Harry. Because I really would love for you to meet my family, and I know they'd love to meet you. I know it's a ways off, but at least the opportunity is there."
Harry saw several students start to get up to their feet and head to class. "It was good catching up with you again, Lilah. I'll see you at our usual spot during our shared free period. We have lots to talk about, I think," he added with a grin.
"Sounds like a plan to me," replied Lilah. "I'll be there waiting for you. Have a good class!"
"You do the same," replied Harry. "Take care!"
A couple of hours later, their shared free period came. As promised, Harry found Lilah sitting cross-legged underneath the big oak tree, her black Mary Jane shoes slightly stained from the grass. He sprinted the last fifty meters to join her under the leafy canopy.
"Hiya, Harry!" Lilah exclaimed with pure joy in her voice.
"Hi there, Lilah!" Harry said, slightly out of breath. "It's good to see you again."
Her light blue eyes looked into Harry's emerald ones. "So… I noticed you've been spending more time with Hermione lately, Harry."
Harry gave her a rather blank look. "Uh… I'm sorry, Lilah, I'm not forgetting about you, honestly…" Harry replied with a bit of an embarrassed stutter.
Lilah smiled sweetly. "It's okay, Harry, really, it is. I know you're not forgetting about me. I'm actually very happy that you're giving her the attention she deserves. She thinks the world of you, you know."
"You're not jealous?" Harry asked, somewhat stunned.
"Not at all," Lilah replied. "In addition to you and Susan, she's the closest friend I have. I love her like a sister. I would actually be upset if you treat me better than you treat her. You already treat me like a princess, Harry."
"You deserve the best," replied Harry. "So does Hermione. In fact, I asked her if she wanted to get a butterbeer yesterday, and I talked to Professor McGonagall about that during our free period. She was all too happy to give us one-time passes, and then she suggested that I do the same for you. I wanted to ask, but I didn't want to be greedy, but she went ahead and told me it was okay before I even could think about asking. She knows how much we care about each other."
Lilah's smile brightened seemingly five-fold. "Good for you, Harry. I know it'll make Hermione's day – just the two of you at the Three Broomsticks. That girl adores you, Harry. You could make her a very happy witch someday."
"But I don't want to have to choose," Harry said. "I adore you both equally, and unconditionally."
"I know you do, Harry," Lilah murmured. "But even if she ends up being your special girl, it's not like I'm going to stop being your friend, or hers either. I'm twelve years old, I have a good long while before I have to think about forever love. I'd love it if I was your special girl, but it's truly okay if it's someone else. Maybe I could make you happy, maybe Hermione could make you happy, or it could be another girl altogether. But you deserve a happy life, Harry. I know your life might not always be easy, being the Chosen One and all, but it doesn't mean that you can't be happy."
Harry's cheeks turned red. "Wow, Lilah, I don't know what to say… sometimes I think you're too good to be true because you're so kind and selfless, I haven't really met anyone quite like you."
"And I haven't met anyone quite like you, Harry Potter," Lilah said. She grabbed Harry by the robes and drew him closer and planted a big wet kiss on his forehead. Harry's cheeks turned even deeper red than before.
She then reached into her robe pocket, and produced the letter her parents sent her. "Oh, and here's the letter that I got from back home, if you'd like to read it. I truly have nothing to hide," she said with a smile.
Harry took the letter and unfolded it.
"Dear Lilah,
We're so glad to hear that you're doing well in school, but you always were a terrific student so this doesn't surprise us at all. We aren't sure what this 'Hufflepuff' is, but it sure sounds like you're being taken care of, so that's all that matters to us.
It also sounds like you have made some wonderful friends. Susan and Hermione sound like terrific young ladies, but again this doesn't surprise us because you've always chosen your friends well.
It seems like you rather fancy this Harry lad. We're sure he's every bit the sweetheart you say he is. He obviously makes you very happy and that's all we care about. We would not be opposed to meeting him someday, he sounds like he's very special indeed.
We love you, Lilah, and we miss you terribly. We can't wait to see you at Christmas. Please tell all your friends that we said hello.
Love,
Mum & Dad"
Harry nodded as he handed the letter back to Lilah. "That was a very nice letter they wrote, Lilah," he said with a smile. He then chuckled softly. "But the way they worded it, it almost sounded like they think we're dating."
"I thought so too," Lilah replied softly. "I'm not ready to date, Harry, but you would be a terrific boyfriend when I'm ready."
"I'm nowhere near ready either," laughed Harry. "And you would be an amazing girlfriend… but I rather like things where they are now."
"Me too," replied Lilah. "Me too." She put a hand on Harry's shoulder and looked into his emerald green eyes. "I want you to have a good time with Hermione tonight. Don't worry about me, or Susan, or schoolwork, or anything else for that matter. This might be the only chance you'll get to spend time with her outside of the castle until Christmas. This is about you and her – just relax and have some fun. And I'm sure Professor McGonagall would agree with me."
Harry couldn't help but laugh. "You're probably right, Lilah."
Lilah smiled knowingly. "Like I said, she adores you, Harry. She's your princess tonight. I know you'll make her feel special."
"Thank you, Lilah," replied Harry. "And I can't wait to take you next weekend."
"I can't wait either, Harry," sighed Lilah. "It's just a week away, it'll get here before we know it."
Several hours later, class wrapped up for the day, and Harry darted up to his dormitory to change. He quickly cleaned up, and found the only respectable Muggle-type clothes he had on hand – a simple black longsleeved turtleneck shirt, dark trousers, and black penny loafers. He combed his hair as neatly as he could, and then he went to the common room to wait for Hermione.
A few minutes later, Hermione joined him. She looked a lot different than usual – her hair was actually straight and she wore a headband this time, and she wore a simple purple sweater, a matching knee-length skirt, some dark tights, and low heeled black lace-up brogues.
"Wow, Hermione," Harry said. "You look beautiful! I don't see you outside of your robes very much, but that's a very flattering look for you."
Hermione smiled, her amber eyes locking on to Harry's emerald ones. "You look quite handsome yourself, Mister Potter." She gave him a gentle hug. "You ready to go downstairs in a few minutes and get some dinner, and then head on over to the Three Broomsticks?"
"Sounds like a plan to me," replied Harry. "You really look lovely, I feel like I'm taking the prettiest witch in Hogwarts out on the town tonight."
Hermione's cheeks turned a rosy pink. "I don't have many reasons to get dolled up, but I figured you're worth dressing up for," she said with a soft giggle.
The two friends made their way down to the Great Hall for dinner, where their Gryffindor friends took notice.
"So, um… what's the occasion?" Ron asked.
"We got special permission to go to Hogsmeade after dinner," replied Harry.
"Lucky," Ron sighed. "I wish I could go." He glanced at Hermione. "You look very pretty in Muggle clothes, by the way. It's not every day I see you look like that. Your hair looks really nice tonight."
Hermione blushed. "Thank you for noticing, Ron. Professor McGonagall gave us some directions on how to get there, it's a shortcut of sorts. Otherwise it's quite a jaunt to get to the Three Broomsticks."
"Well, you two have fun tonight," Neville said. "And Ron's right, you look beautiful, Hermione."
"Oh stop, you guys," Hermione giggled. "I can't tell you how long it's been since this many people have complimented my looks."
"Probably never," mumbled Ron.
Both Harry and Hermione rolled their eyes.
Ron looked into Hermione's light brown eyes. "I'm sorry… that was rather rude. You're really a pretty girl, but if you looked like, well, this, more often, you'd get a lot more compliments. From a lot of people."
Hermione smiled at Ron. "Thanks, Ronald. Now you boys behave yourselves while Harry and I are out. We'll be back by curfew."
"Want to see Lilah and Susan before we leave?" Harry suggested. "I'm sure they'd love to see how pretty you look."
"I suppose, but I don't want things to be, you know… awkward," replied Hermione. "I don't want to give Lilah and Susan the wrong impression about us.
"It's okay," Harry said. "I talked to Lilah earlier today. She's happy for us, she really is. She assured me she's not jealous. In fact, she'd be thrilled to see you in your Muggle outfit. I guarantee she'll say something very nice. And probably Susan too."
"Okay, Harry," Hermione replied with a smile. "I believe you. Besides, I didn't see either of them today."
They made their way to the Hufflepuff table, where both Lilah and Susan gasped at the sight of Hermione looking like something other than a frumpy bookworm.
"Hiya Lilah and Susan!" Hermione said warmly.
"Hiya Harry and Hermione!" Lilah exclaimed. "You look sharp tonight, Harry. And that's a very flattering look for you, Hermione. You look exceedingly lovely this evening." She gave Harry and Hermione each a friendly hug.
"You two look fantastic," added Susan. "I hope you have a great time tonight."
"Thanks, you two," replied Hermione. "I'm sorry I didn't see you this morning, I was writing home earlier. I promise I wasn't ignoring you!"
Lilah grinned. "Don't worry about it, Hermione. I'm just glad I got to see you before you left. I hope you two have a great time at the Three Broomsticks!"
"I'm sure we will," replied Harry.
"I'll tell you all about it in the morning," Hermione giggled. "We probably need to get going, but I just wanted to say 'hi' before we headed out. I promise we'll catch up at breakfast."
"Sounds good to me," said Susan with a smile. "You two have fun, and we'll catch up in the morning."
"Have a good evening, you two," said Harry.
Harry and Hermione got up and left the Great Hall.
Hermione pulled out the map that Professor McGonagall provided in her note. "You ready, Harry?" she asked sweetly.
"Absolutely," Harry replied confidently.